Tag Archives: Fruit Growers Supply Company

Fruit Growers Burney. Railroad

November 9, 2024 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

In early 1940s, the Red River Lumber Company proposed to build branch railroad logging line off the Western Pacific near Poison Lake with a final destination to Burney. That planned was on hold due the conditions of War World II and subsequent sale of Red River in 1944 to the Fruit Growers Supply Company. It should be noted that the Burney Tract contained estimated two billion board feet of merchantable timber.

Fruit Growers surveyed the railroad line descending off the Hat Creek Rim near Cassel then onward to Burney. In 1949, the Harvey Railroad logging line shut down. The rails were stored Halls Flat near Poison Lake, and that increased the speculation of the pending railroad. Then things got complicated and a new player enter the field the McCloud River Lumber Company. McCloud’s mill was sixty-one miles northwest of Burney. The Company was expanding to the south and had eye on the Burney Tract.

In 1951, Fruit Growers and McCloud drafted a mutually beneficial agreement. Fruit Growers would build the line they had surveyed from Poison Lake to Burney and lease it to McCloud, who would be responsible for operating and maintenance. McCloud would eventually scrap the Poison branch. Instead, McCloud extended its line to Burney and on July 3, 1955 the formal dedication of that line was held.

History

Fruit Growers Commissary

August 29, 2024 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

Fruit Growers Supply Company had another issue besides the housing shortage when they opened their Susanville plant in 1921. Inflation had a been issue not just locally, but nationally. However, Susanville’s prices were higher than elsewhere. There were accusations that the local merchants were gouging consumers to take advantage of the tremendous population growth.

Fruit Growers employees complained. Did they ever. Fruit Growers even hired an undercover detective to investigate. It turned that yes, Susanville prices were high, but the local merchants were not gouging any one.

Fruit Growers solution, they opened a commissary. It ws nothing fancy and carried the necessary staple items. The commissary opened on December 12, 1920 and the discount store was only available to Fruit Growers employees. Local Fruit Growers manager, S.M. Bump wrote in a memo “Merchants can exploit all they want.”

Over the ensuing years the commissary evolved and would eventually be open to the public. Its name became Sunkist Grocery. While the store no longer longer exists, the building does. It is now the Lassen Senior Center at 1700 Sunkist, Susanville.

Tim

History

A Fruit Growers Relic

August 17, 2024 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

The last board milled at Westwood and signed by those last workers.

In January 1999, a relic of Westwood’s past was found in the old Community Center at Hilt. It was a piece of vertical grain Douglas Fir 5 1/2 inches wide, 9 inches high and 1 1/2 inches thick. It was the last board cut in the dry lumber department at Westwood in 1956, signed by the last workers. The board was put on display at Fruit Growers headquarters, then located at Sherman Oaks. Since Fruit Growers has moved from location there is not telling as what became of it.

The board was signed by Joe P. Gonzalez, Ronald Edmonds, Roy Evans, J.A. Conrad, Haley L. Roper, Charlie Watkins, George Bliss, D.O. “Smokey” Phelan, Robert Cox, Joe Stripling, Thomas Cooper, H.A. Stevens, John A. Saborido, Florida Valdez, Tio Salveltti, Justin Temple, George C. Raymond, “Whitey” Weldon Snook, Jack Bates, Geo. H. Gowing, Reuben F. Larkin, William Doeering, Glen Snook, Albert Watkins, Wilbern Taylor, Alfred Mardesen, Jay Guttered, William A. Sievers, Everett Hall, Leonard F. Lagnear and Anthony Farrace.

Tim

History

One More Remnant-Camp 10

August 7, 2024 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

Fruit Growers Supply Company, Camp 10, Pine Creek Valley, 1932.

Fruit Growers logging Camp 10 is unique that it lasted over twenty years and did not shut down until the end of the 1952 logging season. The camp was located at the northern end of Pine Creek Valley, near the creek. An interesting note, its water supply came from Bridge Creek Springs.

Camp 10’s remnants differed from that of Camp Harvey. One distinction is the camp was situated on both private and public lands. Also, due to the fact of its longevity there was bound to be lasting impacts. While there are structures at Camp Harvey, there are none to be found at Camp 10. Foundation remains of other residue are present.

Camp 10, 1950. The family cabins can be barely seen in the background.

The cabins were brought into Susanville and sold. There are a few that can still be spotted around town. Seasoned residents may recall a row on such cabins near Piute Creek and Roop Street that Dan Marmo rented. Dubbed by some as ‘wino shacks’ they had no plumping or heat. Some may know the location as the residence of Al and Joy Robbins, 713 Cherry Terrace, Susanville.

Tim

History

Logging Camp Remnants-The Harvey Line

July 30, 2024 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

In 1942 this railroad logging line had its origins at Halls Flat, near Poison Lake, headed into an easterly direction towards Harvey Mountain. By 1949, its entire length was just a bit over forty miles ending near Slate Mountain. A culinary workers strike abruptly shut down this line. Camp Bunyan was the initial camp at Halls Flat, established by the Red River Lumber Company. It was a mixture of portable permanent structures and housed some 350 men.

Remnants of the water tower tower and pump house at Camp Harvey, June 15, 2024-Cyndi Bera

In 1944, Red River sold to Fruit Growers Supply Company and they continued with operations until the 1949 closure. As previously mentioned in an earlier post on this topic, it depends on who owned the site where the camps were located and what type of conditions included as to removal.

Does any one known what this Camp Harvey remnant is? June 15, 2024 -Cyndi Bera

In 2024, there is hardly any remnants of Camp Bunyan, Puls Camp or Camp Stanford. Camp Harvey is an entirely different story. Fruit Growers had an agreement with Shasta Forest, who managed the property for the heirs of the Red River Lumber Company, that they could take their time in removing the structures–the agreement stated they had up to 1967. Most all of the logging cabins and related structures were removed in 1952. It was mutually agreed to keep the water tank tower with its 10,000 gallon redwood water tank, along with the pumping house and pipes in place for fire protection.

Another 2024 Camp Harvey remnant, June 15, 2024-Cyndi Bera

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History

Susanville’s Fruit Growers Townsite

July 22, 2024 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

A family residential section of Fruit Growers, 1921—Ed Standard

In 1919, when Fruit Growers Supply Company planned to build a mill at Susanville, they saw many benefits. Instead of the situation they had at Hilt, a company town they inherited. They felt confident that Susanville entrepreneurs would fill void, especially when it came it to housing. Nothing went according to plan. First of all, Fruit Growers hired 1500 men, the majority with families, which that figure was larger than the population of Susanville.

Fruit Growers dormitories, 1921–Ed Standard

Fruit Growers had to go plan B and build affordable housing for its employees. A residential district, Fruit Growers Townsite was laid out to the west of the plant. Half the townsite contained 80 cottages, the other half dormitories and apartments. It cost Fruit Growers $245,000 to build the housing project. While Fruit Growers is gone today, many of these buildings remain. Another item are the street names, a legacy of the state’s citrus landscape—Sunkist, Monrovia, Upland, Orange, Limoneira to name a few.

History

Logging Camp Remnants

July 21, 2024 Tim Purdy 1 Comment

Camp B. Courtesy of Fruit Growers Supply Company

This is first part of a three part series examining logging camp remnants. Today, we will focus on Fruit Growers Camp B and C. These camps operated during the early to mid-1920s in the Martin Springs vicinity, north and east of McCoy Flat Reservoir. Both were substantial camps comprising some 250 men. Camp C boasted a boxing arena that seated 500 people!

Camp C, no date. Courtesyof Lenala Martin Collection

Today, there is plenty of remnants at Camp B. Among those are the concrete foundations of the commissary and cookhouse. Though it’s been some time since I last visited. the railroad service pits were somewhat in tact. There is scattered debris in the area, and I even found an old pocket watch. Camp C is just the opposite. Without any remnants or any other tell tale signs it is difficult to locate. Why the difference? Camp B is located on land owned by Fruit Growers. Camp C was on land owned by the forest service, the latter required the site to be cleaned up after no longer in use.

Next up the examination of the Harvey line that had four camps–Bunyan, Puls Harvey and Stanford.

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History

Fruit Growers Railroad Map

July 6, 2024 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

Fruit Growers Railroad logging map 1920-1952

After the logging season of 1952 ended, Fruit Growers discontinued railroad logging. In the Hazard Reduction of the Pine Creek Unit timber sale with the forest service in 1936, stated that all existing railroad grades be converted into roads, once the steel and ties were removed. In 1952 Fruit Growers had 48 miles of railroad line. A total conversion would be excessive. To rectify the difference Fruit Growers and the Forest Service conducted a joint field survey–the parties agreed upon the conversion of fifteen miles instead of the original 48. Fruit Growers agreed to maintain the roads for ten years after the timber sale.

It was one of those days, that I had a lapse of better judgment should have, but did not take a picture of Shay’s Hole. However, about a mile down the road, we stopped to take pictures of these old railroad ties still in place.

Tim

History

Fruit Growers Departs Westwood

June 22, 2024 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

A view of Westwood with Keddie Ridge in the background, 1955.

Truth be known when Red River put its mill plant and town on the market in the early 1940s, no one wanted it. Some of the factors were an aging mill facility and majority of the tributary timber depleted. There was also the major headache of operating a town. It was not until Red River sweetened the proposition with the Burney Tract that contained an estimated one billion board feet of timber that made it more attractive. Reluctantly, Fruit Growers Supply Company succumbed and made the purchase.

Major changes were on the horizon and the universal adoption of the cardboard box changed the way Fruit Growers business operations in the future. On August 25, 1955 Fruit Growers announced it would shut down the Westwood plant. Since it appeared there was not market for the mill, Fruit Growers sold everything the following year to a liquidator Wershow and Weiz of Los Angeles. For Fruit Growers one of its greatest relief it no longer had the complicated burden of maintaining a town.

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History

Riverside Park Turns 100

June 20, 2024 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

Story Club, 1924. Courtesy of Lola L. Tanner

When Fruit Growers Supply Company accidentally became owner of a sawmill and town at Hilt, Sisikiyou, County, it was a major learning curve. One lesson they learned early on, you treat your employees well and they in turn do the same for company. Recreation amenities for Fruit Growers employees was deemed essential. By offering such, the company recouped its investment by reduced employee turnover.

In 1922, Fruit Growers constructed a three-story recreational facility known as the Story Club. In July 1924, on the on the north side of the Story Club and adjacent to Riverside Drive they built a public park complete with a children’s playground, the first in Susanville. When the Story Club was destroyed by fire in 1944, the company decided not to rebuild since there were a variety of recreational outlets in Susanville. However, not to let the vacant space go to waste, they expanded the park.

In 1963, Fruit Growers sold its mill properties, which included the park, to Eagle Lake Lumber Company. Prior to the sale, the City of Susanville, agreed to take care of the park’s maintenance, since the public had use when it was created. In 1976, A.A. “Red” Emmerson, president of Sierra Pacific Industries, of which the Eagle Lumber Company was a division, offered the park to the City for $23,000. It had recently been appraised at $45,000. The City accepted the offer and by end of the year the deal consummated.